Comments on: Off-Duty Cops Reported Driving on Pelham Bay Park Trails

By: Felix

Felix — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:44:57 +0000

I’ve also had that experience in Prospect Park. They come flying out of nowhere late at night.

By: john campo

john campo — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:25:34 +0000

Hudson river bike path at 125st was a horror two week ago. Two police truck were supposed to be saving a canoe paddler and were standing looking at the water hands on hips while the truck blocked the entrance to the bike path. This bad situation was made worse by the fence blocking the new section north of 125st. This left riders to log jam on the path and prevent riders to enter the path without risking life and limb at entrance of Henry Hudson parkway. I climbed over the cement barrier and in frustration said; “Come on guys not a great place to park” and peddled off south seemingly to be agreed with by other cyclists either stuck going north bound or fighting to survive in traffic on the street side. Now this is a common in headache in NYC and I basically took it in stride. However someone dressed in black on a bike began yelling at me in four letter words the gist of which was that I was being told I was a jerk and selfish. The heckler continued and I am not one to be cursed at and let it go, so I returned and confronted the heckler wearing black on his 10 speed. “Who are you?” I asked and got more profanity. I repeated my inquiry and got more profanity and the statement that I was being selfish because the police were saving someone in distress in a canoe race. I pointed to the officers standing at waters edge with hands on hips looking at NJ. Tried to reason with this person that the truck could have left 6 inches of room for a cyclist to pass and trying to save lives didn’t involve the taking of others or at least placing others in danger. More profanity, so I left as more cyclists jammed the entrance on both sides of the truck. I got looks of sympathy for the ones stuck on the river side but I just shrugged at them and rode on.
lt seemed to me this person was a city official of some kind and it wasn’t a coincidence he was standing there.
However I can’t see the reason for the profanity. I have been told that undercover police are out and about and I have had first hand interactions before with them. I feel this to be over the edge and a clear abuse of power. Cyclist are the first to be left in the cold in any traffic situation. They have to give way to almost anyone or any thing that moves.
It takes a second to die or end up paraplegic with riding a bike. Thousands of cycling accidents go unreported every year and the only reason they are reported is someone died. The abuse of power thing in its new form I just felt should be made public. There are rats among us and there not looking out for our interests. As a safety director the first thing I was taught was to secure the area and make it safe. Hell I would have jumped in the water myself if I thought anyone was drowning.

By: Glenn McAnanama

Glenn McAnanama — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:51:59 +0000

The same thing happens all the time in Central Park with off-duty police & parks and other miscellaneous unmarked vehicles.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:48:10 +0000

I have had the same experience in Prospect Park.

By: ddartley

ddartley — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:12:24 +0000

The tipster should contact their Council Member. The CM might be useless, or they might be effective. This is a matter of the law being shit upon. Cops who shit on the law should get shit out.

By: ddartley

ddartley — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:10:10 +0000

I truly, truly appreciate complaints and warnings about having government cameras everyhwere. I have little, however, against having citizen cameras everywhere.

It’s a sad old truism, but I’ll repeat it: it is disgusting and inexcusable when our officials sworn to uphold the law shamelessly flout it for the public to see. They make excuses. Every excuse is meaningless, because excuses don’t unmake rules.

By: eLK

eLK — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:02:36 +0000

Try this http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/

By: mike

mike — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:10:15 +0000

This not in Pelham Park, but it’s a similar problem:

Off-duty cops from the 13th Precinct often park the private Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village security cars on the sidewalk and in front of hydrants when they moonlight for their security detail. Repeated calls to 311 have not been met with success, obviously because the cops would have to ticket themselves.

By: rex

rex — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:04:06 +0000

Get it on tape and post it. Sadly that seems to be the only thing that gets results anymore.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:45:57 +0000

While installing physical barriers to the paths might deal with the rogue-cop problem, it would also exclude Parks Dept. vehicles, so it probably won’t happen.

My local precinct sends patrol cars down the Hudson River Promenade. They drive very slowly and considerately. I once asked a pair of officers (through the car window) why they patrolled on wheels instead of on foot. I received a polite but vague non-answer.